2015-09-03T12:50:00Z2015-09-03T12:50:00ZW9HZQ16GABcarbon-finance-for-conservation-of-1deliggiacarbon-finance-for-conservation-of-1 Carbon finance for conservation of native prairie, USA Ducks Unlimited: Conservation of North
American Prairie on Private Lands, USA
Author: Kaitlin Almack (UFZ)
Short title: Carbon finance for conservation of native prairie, USA
Key Message: Marketing carbon sequestration services of grasslands helps to fund
conservation of highly endangered prairie and wetlands which are habitat for hunting
waterfowl.
Suggested citation: TEEBcase by Almack K. (2010) Carbon finance for conservation of
native prairie, USA, available at: TEEBweb.org.
Grassland Conversion
Courtesy: Ducks Unlimited
What is the problem?
Native temperate grasslands are one of the most threatened biomes in the world. In the
Prairie Pothole Region of the Northern Great Plains in North America, over 70% of presettlement grasslands have been lost. Eastern portions of the region contain less than
1% of pre-settlement prairie and in regions where grasslands are relatively more
Version 1.2 Last update: December/2010; Further information at: www.teebweb.org
abundant, pressures to convert are extremely high. With the loss of grassland comes the
loss of several important ecosystem services, such as grassland and wetland habitat for
unique prairie wildlife, water filtration and opportunities for recreation.
The primary driver of grassland conversion is crop agriculture. From 2002-2007, over
475,000 acres of grassland were converted to cropland in North and South Dakota. High
commodity prices, driven in part by mandates for biofuel production, created a strong
incentive to plant crops even on marginally productive land. The United States Farm Bill
also subsidizes crop production risk (as opposed to grass-dependent cattle ranching)
which provides further incentives to convert native grassland into cropland.
How can the grasslands be protected? There are no laws restricting the conversion of
native grasslands – and furthermore, state law greatly restricts the ability of conservation
groups, such as Ducks Unlimited (DU), from owning land in North Dakota. This means
that land acquisition does not work as a large scale conservation strategy. DU is an
NGO concerned with the conservation of wetlands and other waterfowl habitats. The
organization is largely supported by waterfowl hunters.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service, a federal organization, provides a
Grassland Easement program. A conservation easement is a legal instrument that
landowners voluntarily enter into that permanently protects existing land-uses on their
property. However, the easement program in North Dakota is permanently underfunded
and the payment offers made to landowners are typically not competitive with market
values of land. In the face of such difficulties, Ducks Unlimited has developed an
alternative solution.
Which ecosystem services (ES) are considered and how?
As stated above, native grasslands in North Dakota provide numerous ecosystem
services such as habitats for wildlife and pollinators, filtering runoffs, and recreational
opportunities. Additionally, grasslands also help in sequestering a significant amount of
greenhouse gases. Ducks Unlimited analyzed this service and concluded that the
average amount of soil organic carbon stored in grasslands is 67 to 94 metric tons of
carbon per hectare. When converted to cropland however, this carbon storage benefit is
compromised as 20-50% of initial soil carbon stocks are oxidized and emitted into the
atmosphere.
What policy instrument builds upon this ecosystem service information?
A voluntary carbon offset market began to emerge in North America: Ducks Unlimited
realized that the carbon benefit of preserving and restoring grasslands could be sold in
this market and could thereby generate the necessary funds for conservation
easements.
Ducks Unlimited and its partners developed an Avoided Grassland Conversion Carbon
Program. The program protects the carbon stocks of the grasslands – and thereby
protects a broad range of other valuable ecosystem services of these lands.
How does it work? DU purchases carbon credits from the landowner. A separate
payment and agreement can be used to purchase perpetual grassland easement.
Version 1.2 Last update: December/2010; Further information at: www.teebweb.org
Over the course of this program, landowners have received $20-36 per acre for the
outright purchase of carbon credits, or $1 per acre for an option whereby Ducks
Unlimited preserves the right to purchase the credits at a later date. The average size of
easements enrolled in the program is 360 acres.
The easements become a part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The carbon
credits are bundled and resold into the carbon market to further finance the program.
The easement funding shortage is reduced and landowners receive compensation that
is more competitive to what they could earn from converting grasslands on their property
to cropland.
What input was required for doing so?
For the initial analysis, estimates of soil carbon and land-use change were the two most
important data requirements. Regional soil studies conducted by scientists from The US
Department of Agriculture and the academia provided justification for carbon estimates.
IPCC’s Tier 1 default values from the Good Practice Guidance for Land Use Change
Management 1 were used to validate the estimates. Land-use change was examined
using remote sensing imagery and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In the future,
credible and compliance grade grassland methodologies that can be verified against a
recognized carbon standard will be necessary to ensure buyer confidence.
For starting the program, a partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service was
essential in identifying and contacting potential landowners to participate. A private
company, the Eco-Products Fund, provided up-front financing to help Ducks Unlimited
purchase easements and carbon credits. Eco-Products Fund also helped to obtain
accreditation for the project, and then market and sell carbon credits in the voluntary
carbon market. Program development, scientific support and financial support from the
Plains CO2 Reduction Partnership was also critical in program development. Ducks
Unlimited managed the program.
The partnership between Ducks Unlimited, the Eco-Products Fund, the Plains CO2
Reduction Partnership and the US Fish and Wildlife Service was essential to initiating
such a large scale project.
Consequences and Challenges
By taking an ecosystem services perspective, Ducks Unlimited has been able to protect
over 50,000 acres of native grasslands in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota
through carbon finance. The project has stimulated discussion with policy makers on
grassland benefits – and has raised awareness of grassland-based greenhouse gas
mitigation strategies. Native Prairie preservation has even received recognition as a
potential carbon offset project type under climate legislation considered in the US
Congress.
Acknowledgement: Kaitlin Almack (kaitlin.almack@ufz.de) for compiling the case and
Stephen C. Torbit (Torbit@nwf.org) for reviewing the case
1
http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/gpglulucf/gpglulucf.html
Version 1.2 Last update: December/2010; Further information at: www.teebweb.org
Stustman County
Courtesy: Ducks Unlimited
Version 1.2 Last update: December/2010; Further information at: www.teebweb.org
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